CLOTHING MILLS BUSY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 153, 30 June 1945, Page 9

CLOTHING MILLS BUSY

AUSTRALIA'S BIG OUTPUT

During the war Australian clothing mills have used almost one-third more wool than in pre-war years. Latest trade figures show that they used 333,915 bales in 1939-40, compared with 447,622 in 1943-44. The average for the five years preceding the war was 326.915 bales, compared with the average for five war years of 421,714 bales. Peak year was 194142 at 470,515 bales,, but the downward tendency since then has resulted from shortage of labour and not from diminished demand for goods. The figures illustrate the activity of the mills, which have been on Government orders, civilian needs and export requirements. Prior to 1939 practically the whole output was for civilian trade. Wartime needs of Australian and Allied forces pushed civilian business into the background. Quality of civil fabrics was reduced by regulations and rationing, but there are trade hopes that the regulations may be lifted soon, thus enabling the mills to concentrate on improved cloths and probably increasing the local use of wool.